What do graffiti artist BVIS (real name: Bryan Herrin) and alleged terrorist Yousef Mohammad Ramadan have in common? What is the lowest common denominator here?
I'll give you all a clue. From the thin Metro Times article…
Despite Mayor Mike Duggan’s crackdown on graffiti, BVIS told Metro Times that he wasn’t afraid of getting caught. […] “I love just getting away with shit,” BVIS told us. “But part of me is like, I know people like it. It feels good to make people smile. But it is mostly the adrenaline rush.”
These two (Herrin and Ramadan) and many, many, oh so many people who, shall we say, work outside of the law (regardless where on the gamut) just can't resist painting a huge, neon red target on their backs. Some people just can't shut up.
~Photo:~ ~Midwest~ ~Modern~ ~via~ ~FOX2Detroit~
That said, from an Art History perspective, I like BVIS's guerilla art. I like that it's got elements—knowingly or not—of Pop Art, Outsider Art and even Deconstruction.
I also think that the penalty being bandied about is a tad extreme but IANAL. I'll ask my attorney what she thinks.
From the Freep's coverage…
Last week, a search warrant was served at Herrin’s home, police said. After his arrest, he now faces six counts of malicious destruction of property. Each count is punishable by up to four years in prison if found guilty; Herrin faces a total of 24 years. Bond was set at $50,000, which Herrin paid.
When asked whether Herrin's capture stemmed from his interview with Metro Times, [Detroit Police Sgt. Daron] Zhou could not ~~stop nodding and smirking~~ comment.
Snark all mine.
Hey, kids, wanna hear about the worst criminal activity in which I've ever been involved? I could tell you…but then I'd have to kill you.
Freep alt link for your convenience via archive.is
What We Want Now
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